Letting Your Child Choose Their Outfits – Why It’s a Good Idea

Every parent gets up in the mornings and has to deal with the eternal struggle that is dressing their children. The problem is that children don’t want to wear what’s been picked out for them, and instead would rather don a wildly random combination of clothes which make the neighbors think their parents have gone slightly mad. To avoid embarrassment and make their children look good to everyone, parents like to dress them in appropriate clothes which are slightly smart and stylish, making their children look like miniaturized adults.

Children have a completely different idea about how they should be dressed. For children clothes need to be nothing more than fun to wear, as they won’t notice them at any point during the day after they’ve spent a short amount of time choosing them. Some parents can’t stand it when their children choose a random combination of clothes to wear, while others openly encourage it in their children and others. Parents can be offended by this idea, that their children should wear whatever crazy combination of clothes they want, but there’s sound reasoning behind the encouragement, even if it doesn’t seem like it.

Parents are always trying to encourage their children to be creative, through drawing, playing and even acting. Children can be creative through the way they dress, and even if they decide they won’t really wear the clothes outside, they’ve had the opportunity to create a truly fun and unique outfit for them. When parents do encourage their children to dress up wildly, they’re less likely to have arguments about wearing sensible clothing for weather that’s too cold or too hot. If children insist on wearing a summer dress and no coat in the winter, then let them do so, because when they feel too cold after a short while they’ll be sensible and put their coat back on.

Parents should encourage dressing their children when dressing in different clothes, and compromise with them on what they wear. For example, if a child wants to wear a dress outside in the winter, then they could wear thermals underneath to keep them warm, even though they’re technically wearing summer clothes. If a child wants to wear a thick coat in summer however, parents need to make sure they don’t overheat, and explain to them that they’ll want to take it off in a few minutes and will have to carry it, meaning it’s better for them to wear something more appropriate for the weather.

Emma Darling loves to let her two little girls choose their own outfits because they’re always so adorable. She regularly uses an online children’s clothing boutique to get her daughters the best clothes possible so they can come up with something brilliant to wear.